In masking large areas for painting and the like, it is common practice to utilize a large non-adhesive apron strip and to affix the same to a surface to be masked by a strip of pressure sensitive tape applied along an edge of the apron strip. Many of the apparatus for applying a strip of pressure sensitive tape to a masking apron are of the stationary type, that is are of the type where the apparatus is mounted at a fixed location so that a strip of taped apron must be withdrawn and severed from the rolls on the apron taping apparatus before the severed strip can be applied to the surface to be masked. Portable tape and apron dispensing apparatus have been proposed. However, a portable tape and apron dispensing apparatus must not only be capable of applying tape to the apron and dispensing the taped apron, but it must also be readily and easily manipulated to position and guide the taped apron during the masking operation.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,271, issued Jan. 22, 1974, there is disclosed a tape and apron dispensing apparatus which is adapted to be held in one hand to enable manipulation of the dispensing apparatus with one hand so that the user's other hand was free to apply a taped apron to the surface to be masked. However, some problems were encountered in tearing off the dispensed end portion of the taped apron.